Liverpool FC Transfers: 10 Best Players The Reds Sold Too Soon

Football players come and go.

Some players leave their clubs in search of silverware and higher financial incentives. Some are moved on by their clubs and managers in inevitable personnel changes. Some reluctantly leave in search of their childhood dreams of playing for a top team. Some leave with the best wishes of their supporters. Some end up burning their bridges entirely, becoming public figures of hate.

But no matter how a player leaves his club, sometimes the fact is that the club misses the player, whether it be the lack of a direct tactical replacement or an emotional gap from the supporters.

Over the years, the Reds have sold many a player whose absence would be felt keenly. Who knows how things would have worked out if they stayed?

Here is a list of Liverpool's 10 best players that they let go of just a bit too soon...

10. Yossi Benayoun

The Player

Yossi Benayoun was brought to Liverpool for £5 million by Rafa Benitez in the summer of 2007 from West Ham. His stint at Upton Park was preceded by an effective spell at Racing Santander and one at Maccabi Haifa.

Benayoun quickly became a valuable squad player for the Reds, and in time even established himself in the first team. His silky dribbling and creative vision was the key to unlocking many an opposition defence, and he also had a penchant for knocking in some vital goals for Liverpool.

His header at the Bernabeau brought Liverpool an away-goal advantage against Real Madrid in the 2009 Champions League knockout stages, while his injury-time winner against Fulham at Craven Cottage ignited the Reds' ultimately failed challenge for the Premier League title.

How Liverpool Missed Him

A tidy £5.5 million bid from Roman Abramovich's coffers at Stamford Bridge, in addition to imminent confirmation of Joe Cole's signature, secured Benayoun's departure to Chelsea.

Billed as a like-for-like replacement, with some pundits even commenting that Liverpool got the better deal, Joe Cole flattered to deceive in his debut season for Liverpool. Under Roy Hodgson's stewardship, Liverpool came to miss Benayoun's big-game goal streak and creativity, and Liverpool struggled badly with a thread-bare squad filled with mediocre players.

9. Peter Beardsley

The Player

After making headlines in a Newcastle shirt, Peter Beardsley arrived at Liverpool for a then-national record fee of £1.9 million to complete a new-look strikeforce alongside John Aldridge.

Beardsley was charged with the responsibility of replacing the famous Kenny Dalglish-Ian Rush partnership, and he duly repaid his transfer fee by matching his Newcastle scoring feats in a Red shirt.

His league hattrick against Manchester United, followed up by a double over city rivals Everton, did no harm in his bid to make a mark on Kenny Dalglish's team.

How Liverpool Missed Him

Following Dalglish's decision to shell out for David Speedie and the former's sudden resignation in 1991, Beardsley found himself on the sidelines, and he was soon shipped off to Everton for £1 million.

Liverpool's subsequent strikeforce consisted of David Speedie and Dean Saunders, neither of whom manage to capture the fans' imagination and appreciation. His prolific goalscoring record at Everton showed that Liverpool did not sell him due to poor performances, which only ensured that he would be missed by the Kop following his departure.

8. Robbie Fowler

The Player

The player known affectionately as "God" among Liverpool fans needs little to no introduction.

After graduating from the Liverpool Youth Academy and rising through the Anfield ranks, Robbie Fowler wasted no time in making an instant impact for the Liverpool first team, scoring on his debut in the League Cup against Fulham, with five goals in the return leg.

He would go on to break many scoring records, the most famous of which would be his lightning-fast hattrick against Arsenal, accomplished in just four minutes and 33 seconds.

Still considered the most natural finisher ever to play for Liverpool, he struck up a fearsome attacking partnership with winger Steve McManaman.

How Liverpool Missed Him

After Michael Owen and new signing Emile Heskey took over as Gerard Houllier's first-choice strike pairing, Fowler increasingly found himself on the sidelines and was eventually sold to Leeds for £12 million.

While Fowler maintained decent strike rates at Leeds and then Manchester City, many of his fans have maintained that his love of football rapidly declined after departing from Liverpool, leaving one of the game's greatest talents to go slightly wasted.

His emotional return to Liverpool under Rafa Benitez turned out not to be just a move to endear the coach to the fans. He stuck to his goalscoring reputation and confirmed his legendary status amongst the Kop.

7. Nicolas Anelka

The Player

Nicolas Anelka created shockwaves in the footballing world with his £22 million move to Real Madrid, merely 24 months after his £500,000 transfer to Arsenal. Following a stop-start season at Madrid, he continued his nomadic tendencies by moving first to Paris Saint-Germain and then to Liverpool on a loan deal in 2002.

In half a season in a Red shirt, Anelka contributed goals in the league and in the FA Cup, eventually helping Gerard Houllier's team finish second.

How Liverpool Missed Him

Some players are judged by comparing them with their direct replacements. 

In hindsight, securing Anelka on a permanent move to Merseyside should have been a no-brainer. This isn't because of his decent performances during his six-month loan spell or his Premier League experience, but because his direct replacement was El-Hadji Diouf, he of the spitting and generally obnoxiously annoying notoriety.

Following Houllier's decision not to take him up on a permanent contract, Anelka subsequently went to Manchester City, Fenerbahce, Bolton and Chelsea on his way to becoming one of the most high-profile footballing nomads in the game.

6. John Barnes

The Player

Kenny Dalglish secured the signing of flying Watford wizard John Barnes in the summer of 1987 in a deal worth £900,000.

He followed up his high-profile transfer with mesmerizing performances on the wing, scoring 22 times en route to Liverpool's 1990 league triumph. Following season after season of performances for Liverpool, he gradually lost his fearsome pace and matured into a central midfield playmaker, a transition not unlike that of Manchester United's own legendary winger, Ryan Giggs.

His status as one of the first high-profile black players in the English game exposed him to substantial racial abuse, which he admirably tossed to one side. He always let his football do the talking.

How Liverpool Missed Him

The fact that Barnes remains one of the players that fans would most like to see in a Liverpool team is a huge testament to the huge impact that he made in a Red shirt.

While Barnes considered young Steve McManaman to be his successor, Liverpool have never found a complete replacement for him, and with Kenny Dalglish's current Liverpool team harking back to a traditional attacking style reliant on wingers, the need for a world beater on the flanks is more pressing than ever.

Plus, Stewart Downing's never going to rap his way into the Anfield charts, is he?

5. Fernando Torres

The Player

Fernando Torres arrived at Liverpool from Atletico Madrid and quickly established himself as an Anfield hero following his scintillating performances in a Red shirt. 

His telepathic understanding with Steven Gerrard made them the Liverpool attacking fulcrum, which was complemented by the midfield pairing of Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano. The speed, attacking drive and flair he brought to Liverpool's attack play delighted the Kop, and he broke many scoring records during his time at Anfield.

Torres captured the imagination of the Liverpool fans, who dared to dream that he and Gerrard would spearhead Liverpool's charge back to the English summit. 

How Liverpool Missed Him

For Torres, it was all a matter of timing.

Had he left after a seventh-placed finish amidst Liverpool boardroom struggles and unconvincing managerial changes, he would've been forgiven for wanting to pursue his dream elsewhere. But the fact that he voiced so expressly his desire to stay at Anfield and then left in a January deadline-day frenzy to Chelsea meant that he would forever be branded as the one who turned his back on an adoring Kop and on a struggling team.

While it might be fair to say that Torres hadn't been on top form for the best part of a year by the time he left, his direct replacement, Andy Carroll, has not set Anfield on fire yet, and a less-than-clinical Liverpool have been lacking a frequent source of goals since Torres' departure.

4. Kevin Keegan

The Player

Twenty-year-old Kevin Keegan signed from Scunthorpe United to Liverpool in the summer of 1971. Under Bill Shankly's tutelage, Keegan formed a devastating strike partnership with John Toshack, which to this day remains the epitome of the little man-big man forward pairing.

With his abundant goalscoring talent and creative vision, Keegan established himself as an Anfield legend with the occasional hot streak. 

In the middle of a season that saw Liverpool clinch an unprecedented treble of League championship, League Cup and European Cup, Keegan announced his intention to move abroad, and he sealed a move to Hamburg after scoring 100 goals in his six seasons with Liverpool.

How Liverpool Missed Him

Keegan's isn't a case of Liverpool missing him in their striking setup, per se. His replacement, Kenny Dalglish, proved to be a masterstroke and went on to become one of the best players in Liverpool history.

Looking at Keegan's continued excellence after leaving Liverpool, however, leaves one thinking what he could have accomplished at Anfield. He picked up the Ballon d'Or after his first season at Hamburg, and he continued his scoring feats at Southampton and Newcastle, making himself a Tyneside hero during his time at St. James' Park.

We can only attempt to console ourselves in that Keegan's departure was perhaps a matter of wanting a fresh challenge after his impressive accomplishments at Anfield.

3. Michael Owen

The Player

Michael Owen exploded onto the domestic scene with 18 goals in his first full season with Liverpool, earning the PFA Young Player of the Year award along the way, and he earned worldwide recognition following his wonder goal against Argentina in the 1998 World Cup.

Owen's speed and devastating finishing ability meant that he was a potent weapon for the Reds and a huge nuisance for many an opposing defender. Under Gerard Houllier's guidance, he and Emile Heskey struck up a fruitful partnership, latterly joined by the budding Steven Gerrard, and the three would go on to produce great things in an England shirt as well.

His glittering career reached another high note when he became the first and only Englishman to win the European Footballer of the Year award, and he scored 28 goals in Liverpool's excellent 2001-2002 season.

How Liverpool Missed Him

Gerard Houllier's final season proved to be Michael Owen's as well, as the latter wanted to fulfill his dreams when Real Madrid came calling. Him being in the last year of his contract, however, Owen left Liverpool for a mere £8 million, with Madrid reserve Antonio Nunez going the opposite way.

While the 2004-2005 season, Rafa Benitez's first with Liverpool, will forever be remembered for the thrilling Champions League win against AC Milan in May 2005, it doesn't go unnoticed in these quarters that Liverpool finished in fifth place in the Premier League, a fact that wasn't helped by the lack of a genuine goalscoring and finishing threat since Owen's departure.

While strikers like Milan Baros and Djibril Cisse attempted to fill his shoes, Owen would not be replaced in the goalscoring charts until Fernando Torres' arrival a few years later.

2. Sami Hyypia

The Player

Sami who? Hyypia quickly outgrew the new middle name that was bestowed upon him after his low-profile arrival from Willem II for £2.6 million. Establishing himself in the heart of the Liverpool defence and forming one of Europe's best defensive partnership with Stephane Henchoz, Hyypia also took on the role of club captain. Such was the impact of his leadership.

Uncompromising in the tackle and towering in the air, Hyypia also posed a significant threat in the opposition box when it came to set pieces, and it was no surprise to see a corner or a free kick headed into the back of the net with aplomb after Hyypia's dangerous headers. His calm demeanor and ability to read the game also meant that he could excel in a fast-paced league without possessing remarkable pace.

How Liverpool Missed Him

A look back on Hyypia's glittering career in a Red shirt shows that he was one of Liverpool's best ever transfers and one of the Premier League's best foreign imports.

His all-round defensive game, paired with his attacking threat, meant that he was one of the league's finest defenders during his time with Liverpool.

With Daniel Agger taking his place alongside Jamie Carragher in the starting lineup, Hyypia's place as a first-choice defender came under threat, and his departure to Leverkusen in the summer of 2009 has left a lack of attacking defenders in the Liverpool squad. 

Add to that his stellar performances for Leverkusen at the age of 35—he was selected the best defender in the Bundesliga in his debut season in Germany—and his departure looks just slightly premature in hindsight.

1. Xabi Alonso

The Player

And now we arrive at Xabi Alonso, who I'm sure many of you may have predicted to come in first on this list.

I suppose a little introduction is necessary: Rafa Benitez picked Alonso up from Real Sociedad for a cool £10.7 million as one of his first acts as Liverpool manager in 2004. Alonso quickly impressed pundits and fans with his exceptional passing range and creative vision, and he became a mainstay in the Liverpool midfield alongside club captain Steven Gerrard.

Year after year, he grew in stature, and his partnership with Mascherano formed a creative and solid base supporting the attacking feats of the Gerrard-Torres axis. Even after he was widely reported to have been made surplus to requirements following Rafa's public pursuit of Gareth Barry, Alonso stayed and gave his best season for Liverpool yet.

And it is this humility and hard work that has drawn the affections of the Kop as much as his spectacular goals and defence-splitting passes.

How Liverpool Missed Him

It's common knowledge that Liverpool finished seventh the year after they let Alonso leave in a £30 million transfer to Real Madrid.

The players, notably Steven Gerrard, have gone on record, saying that the key to the 2009-2010 disappointment was Alonso's departure, and with good reason.

Every so often comes a player whose contribution and importance to the team isn't keenly felt until he leaves. Liverpool and Rafa tried their very hardest to bring in replacements for Alonso, but so far, it hasn't proved to be fruitful.

And the fact that every prospective midfield signing is compared to him should really be enough to justify Xabi Alonso's place as the best player that Liverpool sold too soon.